Symptoms of Shingles

Shingles usually begins with an unpleasant itching, burning, tingling, or painful sensation in a band-like area. The skin rash of shingles begins to appear 3-4 days after you notice these skin sensations.

The prodromal period is the time about 3-4 days before the rash actually occurs. During this time, you may have the following symptoms:

Fever

Muscle aches

Fatigue

Anxiety, nervousness

Discomfort in the skin, usually on one side of the face, torso, trunk, back, or buttocks. The discomfort may feel like:

Numbness

Itching

Burning

Stinging

Tingling

Shooting
pain

Electric shock

Sharp pain

Extremely sensitive to even light touch

The period of active shingles begins when you first notice a rash in the same location where you felt the skin sensations:

The rash begins as a reddish band or individual bumps in a line.

The bumps develop fluid-filled centers.

Over the course of 7-10 days, the bumps begin to dry and crust over.

You may continue to have pain and/or itching in the area of the rash; the pain may be severe.

If the rash develops on the side of your nose or elsewhere on your face, you should contact your doctor right away. This can signal that your eye is affected.

The rash of active shingles should be gone within a week to a month. About 20% of people continue to have pain and discomfort after the rash has healed. This syndrome of pain in the area of the previously infected nerve is called postherpetic neuralgia. It can be severe and debilitating.

Revision Information

This content is reviewed regularly and is updated when new and relevant evidence is made available. This information is neither intended nor implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider prior to starting any new treatment or with questions regarding a medical condition.